Posted by Brigham and Women's Hospital October 28, 2016

Understanding how sexual health issues are caused, diagnosed, and treated can help men restore sexual function and regain confidence in their sex lives.

There are a number of sexual health issues among men that can interfere with a satisfying sex life, including erectile dysfunction, problems with ejaculation, infertility and others. The following sexual health problems are common among men and are routinely evaluated and treated at the Men’s Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, which was recently established to meet a growing demand to address male reproduction and sexual health concerns.

#1: The most common male sexual health problem is Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

Erectile Dysfunction (ED), a difficulty obtaining or maintaining an erection firm enough for sex, affects 50 percent of American men over the age of 40. ED, or impotence, is mainly caused by blood flow problems such as high blood pressure or vascular disease, which are common among aging men. Other factors that increase the risk for developing ED include surgeries involving prostate cancer, smoking, certain medications and the use of alcohol or drugs.

According to Dr. Michael O’Leary, director of BWH Men’s Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, many of the first-line agents for the treatment of ED involve medications that work for 50-70 percent of men. If a patient does not respond to medication, several non-surgical options exist to encourage an erection by promoting blood flow. Read More »